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Ouya delayed to June 25; secures extra $15 million in funding

Opinions on the Ouya declare it everything from the vanguard of a new games industry to a novelty gadget, but we'll need to wait a little longer to see quite how it shakes out. The Android-powered mini-console has been delayed by three weeks, from June 4 to June 25. In cheerier news, the makers have secured an extra $15 million in funding from investors--almost twice the $8.6 million it raised through crowdfunding.

Opinions on the Ouya declare it everything from the vanguard of a new games industry to a novelty gadget, but we'll need to wait a little longer to see quite how it shakes out. The $100 Android-powered mini-console has been delayed by three weeks, from June 4 to June 25. In cheerier news, the makers have secured an extra $15 million in funding from investors--almost twice the $8.6 million it raised through crowdfunding.

Most of the new investors are venture capital funds, their interest no doubt piqued by the attention and support the Kickstarter campaign raised, but Nvidia also chipped. The GPU manufacturer provides the system's Tegra 3 graphics chip, and doubtless wants the Android-powered games device market to take off, as it's entering the field with the handheld Project Shield.

"Ouya's open source platform creates a new world of opportunity for established and emerging independent game creators and gamers alike," venture capital fund member Bing Gordon said in today's announcement. Gordon served 26 years at EA, and has joined Ouya's board of directors.

"There are some types of games that can only be experienced on a TV, and Ouya is squarely focused on bringing back the living room gaming experience."

Following complaints about stuck controller buttons from people who have already received an Ouya after backing the Kickstarter, the company has also confirmed that's been fixed. The finished production model of controller will have slightly larger holes so buttons won't get jammed, CEO Julie Uhrman told Joystiq. Backers will receive new controllers when it launches.

This delay means the Ouya may not beat the similar-ish Android-y micro-console-y thing GameStick to market, which is due to launch at some point in June at $79. That hardly has the same profile or support, though.